


featherfern

by Artikka



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Dead Sheev Palpatine, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master Katooni, Jedi Temple (Star Wars), Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Order 66 Didn't Happen (Star Wars), Padawans (Star Wars), Prequels As History, Room of a Thousand Fountains (Star Wars), Temple Gossip, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artikka/pseuds/Artikka
Summary: "He seems. . . sad." Jula says, gazing at Master Skywalker from across the gardens. Master Katooni follows her gaze and a glint of understanding passes her eyes. "Why is he so sad, Master?""Ah," Master Katooni clicks her tongue softly. "How much do you know about the end of the Clone Wars, padawan?"*****Or, decades after the Clone Wars are over, Jedi padawans do what they do best: gossip and wonder.
Relationships: Katooni & Ahsoka Tano, Katooni (Star Wars) & Jula (OFC), Mentioned Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Mentioned Padme Amidala/Anakin Skywalker - Relationship
Comments: 36
Kudos: 177
Collections: New SW Canon Server Works





	featherfern

"Haven't you heard? Master Skywalker's out in the Gardens!" 

The whispers start in Jula's Navigation class, jumping from padawan to padawan until everyone in the class has heard it at least three times. Apparently Leshi had heard it from Isde, who heard it from Aalani, who heard it from a padawan in saber class who heard it from a padawan who had just gone meditating. 

"Psst!" Leshi elbows her, whispering under her breath. "Can you believe it? We might be able to see Master _Skywalker_!"

Jula doesn't think anyone in the class has actually ever seen the man before—even if the Temple wasn't as large as it was, apparently the war hero is notorious for rarely leaving his quarters. Not like Master Yoda, who's always around the younglings, or Master Windu, who both Jula and Leshi have caught glimpses of every now and then.

"Only if class finishes quickly enough," Jula whispers back, "and only if we're quiet about it. Can you imagine how _embarrassing_ it would be if he realizes a bunch of padawans invaded the gardens just to stare at him?"

Leshi bites down on her lip— "Good point." —and the teacher heads over to shush them. "Those star charts better be _perfect_ if you two have the time to stand around and gossip."

"Of course, Master, sorry, Master," they mumble, and turn back to the work at hand, even as the other padawans continue to whisper.

A couple minutes later, Leshi leans over again. "But we're totally going to the gardens after this, right?"

"Totally." Jula says with a grin.

* * * * *

"Master!" Jula rushes into her quarters after the endless-seeming Navigation class, slamming the door open with a _thud_. "Master, all of the padawans are medidating in the Gardens today after classes, can we go too? Please?"

Master Katooni startles and drops the tea cup she's holding, snatching it up with the force before it can hit the ground. "Peace, padawan." she grumbles, bending down to wipe up the spilled tea. "And you owe that door an apology."

" _Sorry_ , door." Jula mutters, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "So, can we go?"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the rumors I've been hearing, would it?" her Master says, placing the tea cup back on the table. "About Master Skywalker leaving his rooms for the first time in years?"

"In _years_? Really?"

Master Katooni laughs. "That was an exaggeration, Jula. I don't think anyone could survive trapped in a room for years on end."

"Oh. Anyways, can we _please_ go? All the padawans will be there, and Leshi and her Master too!"

Katooni grins at her and grabs her robes "How could I ever say no to making you do more meditation?"

" _Yes_!" Jula shouts then quickly backpedals. "Uh, I mean—thank you, Master."

Master Katooni just laughs.

* * * * *

When they enter the gardens, they make for her master's favorite spot by the featherferns, dropping to sit crosslegged by one of the fountains. Jula spots Leshi and her master a couple fountains over, and a couple other padawans from her class chatting, meditating, or pretending to meditate while sneaking glances across the gardens. Leshi gives her a little wave and a grin.

"Now," Master Katooni says, closing her eyes, "open yourself to the Force; release your worries, your doubts. . . "

She lets herself fall into an easy breathing pattern, arms loose and hands folded in her lap. Jula, for her part, breathes in tandem with her, but soon she remembers the real reason she and the other padawans were so adamant on coming today—Master Skywalker.

She turns to look for him, not even bothering to disguise her curiosity. There! He's at the edge of the uneti tree, eyes closed and deep in some sort of meditation. He's human, so his hair is turning silver-y—she tries to imagine Leshi with silver hair and shudders—and he has a jagged scar running down one eye. 

"I sense that you're distracted, padawan." Katooni says, and Jula jumps. 

"Sorry, Master."

She opens herself to the force, and tries to float above it all, letting the room's various presences flow through her. That's Leshi's joyous figure, and some of the other padawans from Navigation, and there's her former crechemaster, and there's the Knights from saber class, and there's—a deep, deep sorrow. 

Is that Master Skywalker?

Jula opens her eyes.

"Master?" she says, tugging on Katooni's sleeve. She opens her eyes and gives her a quizzical glance. "I—it's just—"

" _Ask_ , padawan."

"He seems. . . sad." Jula says, gazing at Master Skywalker from across the gardens. Master Katooni follows her gaze and a glint of understanding passes her eyes. "Why is he so sad, Master?"

"Ah," Master Katooni clicks her tongue softly. "How much do you know about the end of the Clone Wars, padawan?"

Jula frowns. "Only what we learned in class. The Jedi Council discovered that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord, and Master Skywalker, Master Windu, and. . . some others managed to defeat him." She looks up at Master Katooni. "I don't remember all of them. But the Separatists surrendered after that, right?"

"Yes." her Master says, folding her hands in her lap. "One of the Masters in the battle was Skywalker's Master, Obi-wan Kenobi. He was killed by Sidious."

_Oh._ Jula thinks with a pang. She doesn't know what she'd do if she ever lost Master Katooni. She can't imagine a life without her warm wisdom and teasing laughs. "Many Jedi lost their masters in the war, right?"

Katooni nods with a faraway gaze. "That wasn't all for Skywalker, though. Only a few days later, Senator Padme Amidala died in childbirth. He lost his master, wife, and child all in the same week."

" _Wife?_ " Jula claps a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to shout. She sneaks a glance over at Master Skywalker, at the far end of the Gardens—thank the force sound doesn't carry too far in the courtyards.

"It was a big scandal at the time," her Master says, gazing off into the distance, "But after the way that battle ended, and after Senator Amidala and the child were lost. . . well, there wasn't really anywhere else for him to go."

"Oh," she says softly. "That _is_ sad." She turns away from him and back to her Master and suddenly she wonders. "Did you know him?"

Master Katooni puts a finger to her chin and slowly shakes her head. "I don't remember if we ever met. His padawan saved my life though, once. Me and a whole host of younglings, on our first trip to Ilum."

"He had a padawan?" She tries to imagine being apprenticed to the Chosen One—the sheer pressure sounds exhausting. Although she supposes that sort of thing hardly would have mattered, in wartime. Everyone would have just been trying to stay alive. "Who?"

"You wouldn't have heard of her, padawan." Katooni smooths a hand over her lekku. "Her name was Ahsoka Tano. She left the Order about a year before the end of the war. She was very brave, though. Kind, and clever. I imagine you would have liked her very much."

_Ahsoka Tano_. Jula turns the name over in her head. It's a very pretty name, she decides. Kind of badass. From her master's description it sounds like Padawan Tano was _definitely_ badass. She wonders vaguely why she left. Probably something to do with the war.

"Hey," she says impulsively, glancing downwards. "Master. Do you think Master Skywalker would like a featherfern?"

"Like. . . a featherfern?" Her Master raises an eyebrow. "You want to give him a flower?"

"Um." Suddenly Jula feels quite embarrassed. "Maybe? I don't know, it always makes _me_ feel better when you bring us flowers for our quarters."

"Padawan." Katooni puts a hand on her shoulder. "I think it sounds like a lovely idea."

So she picks a featherfern, and heads over to the other side of the greenery, stepping carefully around stray roots and branches. She comes to a stop in front of Master Skywalker, who's still meditating with his eyes closed and face taut. 

"Um," she says, trying not to lose her nerve. "Master Skywalker?"

The Jedi in question blinks opens his eyes blearily and focuses on her in surprise. He opens his mouth to speak—to ask what she's doing here, maybe, or maybe even tell her to leave him alone—but she beats him to it.

"You seemed kind of lonely," she says matter-of-factly, "so I brought you a featherfern. They're my Master's favorite type of flower."

"Oh." says Master Skywalker in surprise. His voice sounds sort of croaky—Jula imagines he doesn't really talk much. There's a long pause. He looks up at her, then down at the flower, then up at her again. "Thank you, padawan."

"You should come to the gardens more." Jula says impulsively, then wishes she could take the words back. _Ugh_ , she sounds so stupid. 

"Really?" he says. She's relieved to find that he seems amused more than anything. "And why's that, young one?"

"It's nice here!" she says defensively. How anyone would need a _reason_ to come to the Room of A Thousand Fountains is beyond her. ". . . I guess if you don't want to, you could always just keep the featherfern in your room. They're very resilient, you know."

"I didn't know that." he says, and gives her a small smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." she says. 

They exchange a few more awkward words before she excuses herself and heads back, leaving Master Skywalker to his meditation. He seems a little. . . less sad now, she thinks. Or maybe she's just being too hopeful.

Still, as she's heading back to her master, she imagines the force feels a little bit lighter. 

Behind her, a featherfern blooms.


End file.
